The life I owe you
by ToxicDoll
Summary: AU. 20 years ago Demi met her favorite star. It's been 15 years since anything's been known about Selena. Demi's famous now, and she's been looking for her. Will she be able to break through her defenses? Or is Selena too far gone to reach?
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Green Meadow, TX

July 2011

The teen girl stood nervously in the line to meet the famous Selena Gomez. She wasn't much of a fan of the actress/singer, but her little 9-year-old sister was, and there were few pleasures on their lives that when she heard the actress was visiting their town, she had to take the munchkin to see her.

The girl was just 13 years old, and yet her eyes were much older and sadder than they should be. They weren't destitute or anything like that, but times in Texas had been hard for the past few years, and their father had lost several jobs. Their mum had taken it the worst; she had started drinking and taking out her anger on them. For the most part she managed to catch all the blows, and her little sister was kept out of harms way. Still, it was impossible to shield her from all the abuse, particularly the verbal one.

Her little sister was a little awkward, but the teen was sure it was just baby clumsiness, and she'd outgrow it anytime. But it wasn't enough for their mum. She was a former beauty queen whose glory days were sadly in the past, but that made her be especially hard on her daughters.

The teen didn't really minded; she was thick skinned and she had gone through much worse than what her mother could throw at her, but her sister wasn't. No kid should have to hear her mum tell her what a disappointment she was.

In the long run, the teen was sure it wouldn't matter; she was sure one day they'd be able to walk away from all this. She'd stay in school until she was old enough to get a semi-decent job, and then she'd be able to pay for her sister's school and college. One day they'd go and live together in their own house, and they'd never have to worry about going to bed hungry. They would have enough money for a nice little house, maybe even a little car, but not before sending their parents some too. They might not be the best parents in the world, but they still were theirs, and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to take care of them. But, until that time came, she'd try her best to give her little sister the most normal childhood she could.

She knew it wasn't really fair for her to have to carry such a burden, but she also knew she didn't had a choice. Maybe if it was just her she'd be more selfish, but she had her little sister to think of. She was the older one, and it was her duty to care for her in anyway she could.

Today was a good example. Her sister had always looked up to Selena Gomez; she never missed an episode of her show, she had seen all her movies at least four times, and she had bugged her big sister until she had no choice but buying her all the star's albums. The teen smiled at that thought; she had worked her ass off doing odd jobs at the mall to get enough money to buy those records. It had been worth it. The little one saw a role model on the slim, dark-haired girl; and given the harshness of their life, it was good she had someone as wholesome as her to admire. So when the munchkin had heard the Disney Princess was coming to their town to do a meet and greet sponsored by some company or another, the teen knew she would do anything so her little sister could meet her.

She had stood in line for almost 48 hours to get passes for them. 48 hours under the scorching Texas sun. In the middle of summer. During one of the worst heat waves in history. Their mum had been angry; she said it was a waste of time. But the teen knew that what their mum was just being mean. The woman had refused to give her any money to buy something to eat, or at least some water. So for 48 hours she had to rely on the kindness of strangers. Even though most of the people on their little town weren't better off than they were, she was positively surprised when she was offered a little water, a little bite to eat. It made her think that maybe there was hope after all.

So, they were now just minutes away from meeting the actress. They were close enough that they could see her, and the munchkin was getting restless and nervous. Would the great star stay long enough so they could meet her? Would she be kind enough to autograph her record? Would she think badly of their poor clothes?

The teen could do nothing but sight and try to reassure her little sister. No, she was sure the Disney Princess wouldn't mind at all their clothes. They were the best they had, and they were clean. Don't worry, munchkin, someone like Selena Gomez can't be so shallow as to resent our clothes. Just remember to mind your manners, be polite and your usual sweet self, and don't worry about anything else, enjoy this moment.

The look of adoration her little sister gave her was almost enough to make the teen believe her own words. In reality, she was embarrassed; their best clothes weren't really much, and would never actually impress someone like the Wizards star. But there was nothing she could do; they simply didn't have the money for nice clothes. She had washed them extra carefully; she had done their hair the best she could, too.

Her thoughts were cut short; it was finally their turn to meet the famous Selena Gomez. They both froze in place for some of the most uncomfortable seconds in their life, until the actress flashed them their amazing smile and beckoned them to come closer.

"Hey you guys! Come one, get over here, I promise I won't bite" The Disney Princess chuckled and they got closer to the table.

"What's your name, kids?"

The teen prodded at her little sister slightly, and she in turn smiled her toothy grin. "My name is Demi, Miss Gomez. And this is my sister Dallas. I'm so happy you came to our town, and I'm ever so glad I got to meet you. You are my favorite actress and singer in the whole wide world, and I watch your show all the time. I love your music too, and your movies. I think you are such and amazing person, and I love you so much, and think you are the greatest. Would you sign my record?" The little girl extended her tiny hand towards the singer.

"Please Miss Gomez, I hope you don't mind our clothes, our parents don't have a lot of money and Dallas and I have to make do with what little we have."

"Demi!" Dallas screeched at her little sister, completely mortified. She turned towards the actress. "Please Miss Gomez, I'm so sorry, it was really inappropriate of her to say…" She didn't have a chance to continue apologizing, for the actress interrupted her.

"Dallas, isn't it?" When the teen nodded, she kept on while looking at both girls in turn. "Dallas, Demi, there is nothing to be ashamed of. I know that this are difficult times, and believe me, I don't mind this at all. You both look like very smart, very beautiful girls, and I'm sure that things will get better for you in no time. I'm sure you'll both achieve all of your dreams. You just have to work really hard at it and never lose focus of what you want. Never lose your faith." She proceeded to write something on Demi's record and closed back the case before returning it to her.

"Do you really think so, Miss Gomez? Do you really think all our dreams will come true?" Little Demi asked, her voice a mixture between awe and a plea.

Selena stood up, bent down over the table so she could be closer to the little girl's face, and spoke softly. "Yes, Demi. I'm sure that you will make all your dreams come true. Trust me. Never forget it, Demi, all you need to make those dreams happen is right here." She touched the little girl's heart. "Don't' ever be afraid, and don't ever hold back. I'm sure good things are in your future." And she kissed the little girl and smiled at them both.

It was all a blur after that; they had to move quickly, the Disney Princess still had to greet a lot of people. But after they had walked halfway home, they stopped so the munchkin could rest her little legs for a while. It was then when Dallas remembered that they hadn't even looked at the record. They opened it.

"Yes I will, of course I will, Selena." Demi said softly, while her sister smiled sweetly at her.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm sorry last chapter was confusing. Blame it on the late hours. in that chapter, Demi is 9, Dallas is 13, and Selena is 19. I'm sorry it took me so long to post back and I'm sorry I haven't thanked people properly for their reviews, but I dislocated my shoulder quite severely and I spent the entire weekend completely doped. Thank you for reading.

Chapter 1

Los Angeles

20 years later

Taylor Alison Swift walked into a bar trying her best not to be noticed. She loved her fans; no doubt about it, but sometimes all a girl wanted was some me time. She was dressed in loose jeans, a white t-shirt, sneakers and a Phillies cap. She wasn't really trying to be incognito; she just wanted to minimize any chances of being spotted. She sat down at the back, and ordered a Mojito while she waited for her good friend Miley Cyrus to arrive.

Miles had emailed her the night before, asking if they could meet at the bar of the Las Palmas Hotel. It was a nice place, the drinks were good, the food was excellent, and more importantly, the hotel was very defensive of their guests privacy. There simply was no way they would get ambushed by the paparazzi here. Outside, it was another matter entirely, but she wasn't too concerned about it, Miles just worried too much because of her new baby.

She had to smile at the thought of her new godson; the little boy was just too cute, and he seemed to really enjoy being around his aunty TayTay. Little Jake was Miles third son, and he had been quite unexpected. But, even though Miley and Nick hadn't been actively seeking another child, it didn't mean he wasn't as loved as his brothers. The Jonas-Cyrus clan was really happy and thriving. Nick was a successful singer and Miley's career as both an actress and singer had been prosperous too. Most importantly, they were a happy family.

Taylor sighed softly; she had always wanted a family, but here she was, 41 years old, and she was alone. Granted, she still had her parents, her family and friends, but she was alone. When the doctors had told her she was never going to be able to had kids, it had been an overwhelming blow that took her almost a year to get over. It had devastated her so deeply she had abandoned her music career. She had focused entirely on acting for she felt she didn't deserve to continue singing. Truthfully, it was just too sad to sing.

She always was aware she could always adopt, but her love life had been such a mess she decided she couldn't impose that on an innocent child. She had dated her fair share of guys until she had decided she couldn't keep fooling herself and bravely came out when she was 25. It had caused quite a stir, for the press always hailed her as a perfect, wholesome girl, and some in the more conservative sector had taken issue with the way her heart leaned. Well, in time most people had gotten over it; society was slowly changing and becoming more accepting. Besides, she had deceived herself long enough.

She nursed her drink as she kept reflecting on the way her life had gone. She had to admit; all in all, it wasn't a bad life. But, even though she had had her share of lovers, there had never been the one true love. Not for lack of seeking, she had actually had her fair share. It just had never happened for her. There was Selena, but that hadn't gone the way either had wanted.

The tall blonde sighed again at the thought of Selena, her beautiful Selena. Broken Selena. It hadn't been fair; it had been far from fair…

She never got to complete that thought as she noticed someone standing in front of her table. She looked up, expecting to see Miles hauling little Jake instead of a short blonde woman staring at her. At first she thought it was a server coming to ask if she needed her drink refreshed, but once she took in the expensive, severely cut, business suit, the completely black Ray-Bans, and the no nonsense bun that hold the blonde's hair she thought better. Her second hypothesis was that the woman was an executive from one studio or the other who had seen her and decided to interrupt her alone time to talk business. Her third hypothesis involved a conspiracy, men in black, and international assassins. She probably needed to stop reading so much science fiction.

The blonde woman removed her sunglasses to reveal light brown eyes; she cleared her throat and spoke. "Can I sit down?" Her voice was devoid of emotion or nuance, making it very hard for Taylor to venture a guess about her origins, and making her reconsider her third hypothesis.

Taylor was dumbfounded. "I'm waiting for someone, but you can sit down while she arrives." She was curious about the woman, and she had to admit she was nice on the eye, and Taylor could spy a nice figure underneath the suit. She hadn't been laid in so long it hurt.

"Actually, I think you're waiting for me." The blonde said as she sat down.

Taylor was going from dumbfounded to freak out at a very high speed. "No, I'm waiting for my friend. I don't even know who you are." She unconsciously moved back a little.

The blonde woman rummaged around her handbag for a few seconds and produced a business card, which she handed over to Taylor.

"Are you kidding me?" Taylor said excitedly. "Your card only says 'Lovato Security Services', and you expect me to do what with this? I'm thinking really hard about calling the police, my friend might be binging her child over, and I can't risk that with an obvious lunatic here."

The short blonde stared at her for a while, her expression never changing. "No, Miss Swift. I'm not a Lunatic. And your friend, Mrs. Jonas-Cyrus, isn't coming. I sent you the email inviting you over. I need to speak with you on behalf of my client."

OK, Taylor was officially freaked out. The woman in front of her was obviously nuts. In the past she had her fair share of stalkers; most were harmless loons who just had too much free time. But a few were actually insane people who proved to be truly dangerous. She knew that people like that would not refrain from hurting her just because they were in public. She was about to bolt and hide in the restroom, but the woman was faster; she grabbed her arm tightly.

"Before you do anything rash, Miss Swift, like calling the police, please hear me out." Taylor wasn't sure why, but she settled back down and gestured for the woman to continue. "As I showed you, my name is Leigh Lovato, and I'm here on behalf of my client. Perhaps you've heard of her, Demi Lovato."

Taylor went numb. Of course she had heard of Demi Lovato. The entire world knew who she was, only the most famous singer and actress of her generation, and the most private too. Taylor had never had the pleasure of working with her, but, let's face it, she wasn't in the same league as her. She stared at the blonde in front of her, and started seeing the family resemblance. Except, where Demi had kind eyes in all her pictures, this woman's were darker and colder, the eyes of someone who had seen too much.

"Let's say I believe you're not a wacko. What do you mean you sent me the email? I checked it, it clearly came from Miley's account."

"I don't think you checked it closely enough, Miss Swift. It was a phony account I created so I could communicate with you." The short woman raised her hand when Taylor tried to speak. "And before you say anything, I tried contacting you through the official channels and your people never bothered calling me back. I had to resort to this deception because I really needed to talk to you. And no, I'm not a wacko. Again, my name is Leigh Lovato; I'm the head of Lovato Security Services. We're a private contractors firm specializing on providing security to our clients. We also provide managerial and accounting services. I've been trying to contact you on behalf of my client, Demi Lovato. I presume you know who she is."

"Yes, I do know who she is. Why have you been trying to contact me? What does Demi Lovato want with me? Why didn't you just tell my manager what you wanted?" Taylor was confused. The woman seemed to be legit, but she was undecided as to her motives.

"Because, Miss Swift, it's a private matter that my client wants to keep between just you and her. Your people are very suspicious, and I commend them for that, but since I really had to speak with you, I was forced to act this way. Now, it's time for us to put our cards on the table. I've been doing some research, and after a careful analysis, I concluded that you have something my client needs, and she's used to getting what she wants. Now, Miss Swift, please don't make this any harder for me than it already has been."

Taylor tried really hard to remain cool. "OK, I'm not following you. I've never even met Demi Lovato, how could I possibly have something that she wants? And what's your relation to her?"

"She's my client. And she's also my sister, if that's what you're asking. I've been working with her my entire life. I can understand your confusion, Miss Swift, it's normal, but you do have something Demi wants: An address, more specifically, Selena Gomez' address. She wants you to arrange a meeting."

Taylor was outraged! "How dare you! Listen lady, I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing here, but if you think I'm giving you Selena's address, you have a rude awakening coming!" Taylor was practically screaming! What was with this bitch? Who the fuck did she think she was? "There is no way I'm giving you that. I don't know what's wrong with you and your sister, but I'm warning you; stay the fuck away from her. I'm not going to let you hurt her. She's been through so much, and whatever twisted prank you two have planned, you better stop. You don't know what I'm capable of when it comes to protecting the ones I love!"

Taylor started getting up, and once more the short blonde grabbed her arm, only this time she applied more force than the previous time. Much more force. Taylor shrieked while woman who called herself Leigh Lovato spoke "Are you finished? Now sit down and compose yourself before I'm forced to really hurt you."

Taylor did as told, she had never been so scared in her life, the woman's eyes where so completely devoid of emotion; they were a killer's eyes.

"I can understand your reaction, believe me, and I admire you for trying to protect your friend. But I can assure you; my sister's intentions with Miss Gomez are good. I can't disclose to you why she wants to meet her; that's a very private matter between the two of them. You'll have to take my word for it. But, believe me, I'm not going back to her empty handed. One way or another, I'll make this happen. I'm just asking you to make it easier on the both of us."

"You can't make me do anything." Taylor said a little more bravely than how she really felt.

"I can make you do whatever I want, Miss Swift." The woman took out her mobile, and searched for something. When she found it, she passed the device to the tall blonde actress.

Taylor looked at the screen, and visibly paled. "How did you got this?"

"It doesn't matter, Miss Swift." Leigh answered in her emotionless voice. "What matters is that I have more images, and I don't mind releasing them on the holonet. I would have preferred if you had decided to cooperate with us out of free will, but to be honest, I don't really care if you don't. It just would have been easier for me. You have something my sister wants, and I'm giving it to her. Let's stop this dumb game, and let's get going. Don't make me do anything harsh, I don't want to fuck your beautiful face up."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

Taylor was scared. Leigh Lovato had dragged her up the elevators. They went up several floors and got out near the penthouse. They walked down the hallway until they arrived at a door where two large men in dark suits with bulges near their armpits waited. The taller one opened the door and ushered them in. He spoke to the short blonde in a language Taylor didn't recognized for a few moments and then took his leave, closing the door behind him. Taylor knew they would remain outside, to make sure she didn't try escaping. She had no intentions to try, really. Leigh took her handbag, and removed her mobile phone so she couldn't contact anyone.

She looked over at the suite she had entered. It was beautifully appointed and very big. It was luxurious and the kind of suite someone with the obviously expensive taste Leigh Lovato had, would demand. "OK, well, am I to understand I'm you're prisoner? You're abducting me?" The tall country star asked.

Leigh Lovato walked over to the window, made sure the drapes were completely closed and then looked over at Taylor. "Yes. You are, until you gave me what I want. It doesn't have to be hard, you know? You can take that piece of paper over there and write Selena Gomez' address." She gestured towards the lavish leather couch. "Then we can sit, order some food, watch cartoons, and wait until my sister does what she needs to do, and then you can go back to your place and play with your cows or whatever the fuck you country singers do when you think no one is looking."

"Hey! I resent that!" Taylor spun around, rose to her full height, and noticed how short Leigh was. Maybe she could take her. "I do have a cow but I don't keep her in LA. And I want to know why you want to find Selena."

"Fine, I apologize to you and your cow." Leigh Lovato went to the mini fridge, took out a bottle of water and threw it to Taylor, who struggled to catch it. Then she took a beer for herself and went to sit down at the couch. She gestured for Taylor to do the same, but she remained standing. Leigh shrugged and continued. "I really can't tell you why my sister wants Ms. Gomez' address, but I can assure you, she means her no harm."

"Why can't you tell me? I'd feel more comfortable telling you if you gave me a reason why. And if u hadn't kidnapped me."

Leigh sighed as she set down her beer. "I don't think you and I are on the same page. Let me be really clear." She stood up and walked towards Taylor. "I don't really give half a fuck if you're comfortable or not. I don't give a fuck if you like it or not. Demi needs that address, and you're going to give it to her. Why do you keep trying to make things difficult?"

Taylor looked down at the shorter blonde; now she wasn't so sure she could take her, but she still wasn't about to step back. "Yeah, well, what if I don't want to? What are you going to do about it? You can't make me do anything." Take that, you Unablonder.

Leigh smirked at her. "Did you happen to notice the two nice gentlemen outside? Good. Well, they're some of my most trusted associates. You probably have had to deal with problems like overzealous fans, stalkers, stuff like that." Taylor nodded softly. "Well, as Demi's fame increased, so did those problems. Demi needed security, but we realized that sometimes it was the same security that leaked stuff to the press. So we decided that the best way to protect her was to have direct control over the personnel in charge of protecting her. That's how Lovato Security Services came to be."

Leigh stared straight at Taylor, never intimidated by the height difference. "At first we weren't sure were to shop for said personnel. But then an old friend pointed out towards Eastern Europe. Mr. Zinoviev was formerly with the intelligence forces. Let's just say he served in very bad corners of the world, and he learned stuff. Come with me."

Leigh gestured for Taylor to follow her into another room of the suite. She opened the door and moved so the tall woman could look inside. She was instantly scared. The room's walls and floor were covered in plastic. There was no furniture except for a metal bed frame and a table. The table was full of terrifying instruments; saws, knifes, whips, cables, blowtorch, and water. Leigh cleared her throat to make sure Taylor was paying attention. "I'm sure that you understand what I'm implying here, I want you to realize the depth of your predicament. We're not joking around here, Miss Swift. My sister needs that address, and you need to be sure that whatever my sister wants, she gets. Or I get it for her. Now, lets try this again, do you still want to do this the hard way, or are you going to cooperate with us? I can't tell you what this is about, that is my sister's secret. But again, I can assure you she means no harm to Ms. Gomez."

Taylor tried to swallow and failed miserably. She had protected Selena for most of her adult life; ever since what happened so many years ago with Justin. She knew she should try to be strong and resist. On the other hand, what Leigh had showed her were the stuff of nightmares, and there was this little matter of her allergy to pain. And strangely enough, she found herself wanting to trust Leigh. Maybe it was the start of Stockholm Syndrome, maybe she was just too tired after all those years, maybe she was just a coward, but she knew she was going to end up telling.

"You wouldn't dare hurt me. Lots of people saw me come up with you." Take that, Leigh Lovato, you evil bitch.

"Oh believe me, there's no proof I'm here. You see, my people made sure this room was reserved under an assumed name, and they have hacked into the hotel's computers so that the cameras are not working. As for witnesses, well, I'm sorry Ms. Swift, but unlike you I'm not famous at all; my face, my body, my walk, are totally nondescript. No one will ever pick me up on a lineup."

Taylor looked closely at Leigh; nondescript was not a word she'd used to describe her. She was gorgeous, in the whole sense of the word. Even her obviously bleached her, which on some women would look appalling, suited her. Her lips looked so sweet and kissable. And the legs that showed beneath the severe skirt she was wearing were toned and beautiful. Taylor was sure that given enough time alone with her, she'd have a hard time controlling herself. Even if the woman had just threatened to have her tortured. Hell, she had always had a thing for dominant women, but this was a bit too much, even for her. Still, she could feel herself getting just a little wet.

She decided to ask for something, if only to prevent herself from jumping Leigh and ravage her on the floor. "I want you to promise me that you won't hurt Selena. I want you to give me your word that you and your sister won't do anything to harm her. She went through so much, and she didn't deserve it. She has been my best friend forever, and doing this makes me feel like shit, but you're giving me no choice. I feel like I'm betraying her, and you have no idea how this is affecting me. So before I give you her address, I want you to be honest with me and promise me you will not hurt her."

Leigh's expression never changed, even though was dying inside. She had always been opposed to this; she had begged Demi no to do this. She had assured her she and her team would be able to get Selena Gomez' address so she could meet her. But her sister had been adamant. She wanted to contact her, and she wanted to do it last week. Demi could be so demanding, and Leigh knew it was partly her fault. But what she had been forced to do to get it, was beyond low. It took all her self-control to remain in character as the evil bitch and not hug Ms. Swift and ask her to forgive her. She nodded slightly before speaking. "Yes Ms. Swift. Believe me, my methods might have been unconventional, but my sister means no harm to Ms. Gomez. In fact, I think that when they meet, they will be able to help each other."

Taylor wasn't sure what Leigh meant, but somehow she found herself believing her assurances. She went back to the first room, looked around until she found a notepad, and scribbled down a few words. She reluctantly handed it over to Leigh, who thanked her silently before going walking towards the door. She stepped outside, and made sure the door was closed before turning to the taller man. She silently handed over the pad to him.

"So, she believed your little show?" He asked, his Russian accent barely noticeable.

Leigh sighed loudly, looking a little sad, and very tired. "Yes, she did. I can be very convincing, Vasily, you know that. The décor helped a lot, actually."

The man named Vasily chuckled softly. "Well, I'm happy it did, and I'm even happier you didn't messed it up. The deposit we had to leave for it was huge, and I really want to get it back. It's good business practice, Miss Lovato."

Leigh couldn't help but chuckle herself. "Yeah well, don't worry, it's not like I actually planned to use it, so after my sister is done you can take all that stuff back to whatever Hollywood studio you rented it from."

"Some of it we got really cheap at a dental wholesale warehouse."

"Good touch, I'll be sure to ask her what was it that spooked her the most. Now, email Demi the address and make sure she realizes we can't keep Taylor Swift holed up here forever. Someone's bound to miss her soon. Tell her to go to Selena Gomez' house as soon as she can and that she owes me, big time."

"Will do, Ma'am. Anything else I can do for you? Should I send for some food?"

"No, it's OK for now. I'll let you know later." She walked back inside the room and found Taylor sitting primly on the leather couch. She looked so cute Leigh almost forgot to play her part. The things she did for her little sister. "I've given the data to Demi. You'll be free to go once she informs me she has arrived and indeed made contact with Ms. Gomez."

"Leigh, what you're doing to me, it's horrible. And let me tell you this; One day, I will have my revenge."

"Fair enough. I can understand that. I sympathize with you. But while we wait for that day to come, let's try to remain civilized. Do you want some food, something to drink?"

"I want to fuck you."


End file.
